Quick-clamping passe partout

ABSTRACT

A glass plate is adapted to be clamped against the front side of a rear wall. Strip members embrace the edge of the glass plate and hold it in engagement against the rear wall and consist of spring legs, which are connected at least on two opposite sides to the rear wall by a spring bight and are provided at their free forward ends with detent projections, which yield to rearward pressure applied by the glass plate until the latter snaps into position behind said projections. The detent projection consists of an end portion of the spring leg. This end portion is angled toward the interior of the passe partout and in resilient engagement with the beveled forward surface of the glass plate, which is beveled at its ends on both sides like a roof, so that the end portion of the spring leg holds the glass plate in position and the or forward end of the spring leg is substantially flush with the top or forward surface of the glass plate.

United States Patent [191 Rochelt 1 Apr. 17, 1973 QUlCK-CLAMPING PASSEPARTOUT [76] Inventor: Giinter Karl Rudolf Rochelt, Schulinstrasse 7,Ulm, Germany [22] Filed: Dec. 28, 1970 [21] Appl.No.: 101,828

FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS France .......40/l52.l

Primary Examiner--Robert W. Michell Assistant E xaminer-Wenceslao J.Contreras Attorney-Fleit, Gipple & Jacobson [57] ABSTRACT A glass plateis adapted to be clamped against the front side of a rear wall. Stripmembersembrace the edge of the glass plate and hold it in engagementagainst the rear wall and consist of spring legs, which are connected atleast on two opposite'sides to the rear wall by a spring bight and areprovided at their free forward ends with detent projections, which yieldto rearward pressure applied by the glass plate until the latter snapsinto position behind said projections. The detent projection consists ofan end portion of the spring leg. This end portion is angled toward theinterior of the passe partout and in resilient engagement with thebeveled forward surface of the glass plate, which is beveled at its endson both sides like a roof, so that the end portion of the spring legholds the glass plate in position and the or forward end of the springleg is substantially flush with the top or forward surface of the glassplate.

10 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures PATENTED 1 H973 3,727, 335- sum 20F 3PATENTED APR 1 7 I975 SHEET 3 OF 3 QUICK-CLAMPING PASSE PARTOUT Thisinvention relates to a quick-clamping passe partout, which comprises arear wall or backing, a glass plate adapted to be clamped against thefront side of the rear wall or backing, and strip members, which embracethe edge of the glass plate and hold it in engagement against the rearwall and consist of spring legs, which are connected to the rear wall atleast on two opposite sides by a spring bight or web and are provided attheir free forward ends with detent projections, which yield to rearwardpressure applied by the glass plate until the latter snaps into positionbehind said projections. t

In a known passe partout of this kind, the spring legs are provided attheir free forward ends with beveled detent noses, which protrude likewedges from the surface of the glass plate when the latter has beenforced into position. Whereas that known passe partout is satisfactory,it has a clumsy appearance because the strip portions holding the glassplate protrude from the surface of the glass plate.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a quick-clampingpasse partout which has a pleasing appearance and in which the framethat holds the glass plate is no longer prominent.

In a passe partout of the kind described first hereinbefore, that objectis accomplished in that the detent projection consists of an end portionof the spring leg, which end portion is angled toward the interior ofthe passe partout and in resilient engagement with the beveled topsurface of the glass plate, which is beveled at its ends on both sideslike a roof, so that the end portion of the spring leg holds the glassplate in position, and that the top end of the spring leg is flush withthe top surface of the glass plate. This design results in a pictureframe assembly which has a large area and in which the frame that holdsthe glass plate does not define and limit the picture area. The use ofthis unpretentious, pleasing frame is particularly satisfactory in roomswith modern furniture.

In a development of the invention, the spring leg which forms the detentprojection consists of transparent plastics material. The use of thismaterial results in the pleasing impression of a glass plate whichcovers the picture behind it and is free of a holder. The glass plateappears to float before the picture which it protects.

In another desirable embodiment of the invention, the strip members havea recess, which receives an alu minum foil.

To facilitate the insertion of the glass plate, the same has slightlyrounded corners and/or the strip members forming the spring legs aredrawn outwardly at their lateral ends. These measures facilitate theforcing of theglass plate out of and into the plate-holding frame.

An embodiment of the invention will be explained more fully hereinafterwith reference to the drawings, in which FIG. 1 is a sectional view,

F IG. 2 is a perspective elevational view showing the passe partoutaccording to the invention with an enlarged portion, and

FIG. 3 is a top plan view showing another embodiment of the frameaccording to the invention with an enlarged portion.

The frame consists of the strip members 1, which are joined together.The rear wall 4 is adhered or welded to the horizontal web or springbight 2 of the leg 3 of these The glass plate 10 is beveled also at itsrearward edges 12 so that they can be forced into the frame withoutdifficulty. As the glass plate 10 is forced against the frame, the topend portions 8 of the spring legs 7 slide on the beveled surfaces 12until the top or forward end portions snap in against the beveledforward surfaces 9.

The strip members have a recess 13, which receives an aluminum foil 14,which is adhered or otherwise held in position.

FIG. 3 shows another embodiment of the passe partout according to theinventionand indicates by dotted lines the contour of the glass plate 10inserted in the passe partout. The glass plate 10 has slightly roundedcorners 18 so that the glass plate 10 can be forced more easily behindthe top end portions 8 of the resilient legs 7. The forcing of the.glass plate 10 out of the holding means will also be facilitated byrounded corners of the glass plate 10 because pressure applied to therear of the passe partout will cause the glass plate to spring out ofone comer of the frame and the glass plate can then be seized with the fngers and lifted ofi entirely.

The insertion and removal of the glass plate 10 can also be facilitatedin that the free top end portions 8 of the resilient legs 7 are drawnoutwardly at their lateral ends 16. In that case, the resistancepresented at the corners of the passe partout to a movement of the glassplate 10 in response to pressure applied tothe rear wall will be reducedso that such pressure will cause the glass plate to spring out at onecomer of the passe partout.

As is shown for the embodiment of FIG. 3, it will be desirable toprovide the glass plate It) with rounded corners and to draw outwardlythe' top end portions 8 of the resilient legs 7.

What is claimed is:

1. A quick-clamping passe partout, comprising a rear wall, a transparentpane having at least "one forward beveled surface and a top surface andadapted to be held in position adjacent to a front side of said rearwall, anda plurality of strip members secured to said rear wall, saidstrip members being adapted to embrace the edge of the transparent paneand to hold it in said position adjacent to said rear wall, each saidstrip member comprising a spring leg substantially transverse to theplane of said rear wall, a spring bight connected to said spring leg,said spring bight being secured to said rear wall, said spring leghaving a free forward end provided with a detent projection which willyield to rearward pressure applied by the transparent pane until thelatter snaps into position behind said projection, said detentprojection comprising an angled end portion of the spring leg, saidangled end portion being in resilient engagement with the upper beveledsurface of the transparent pane, so that the resilient end portion ofthe spring leg holds the transparent pane in position, with the top endof the angled end portion being substantially flush with the top surfaceof the transparent pane.

2. A quick-clamping passe partout according to claim 1, wherein thesection of the spring leg which forms the detent projection is atransparent plastic material.

3. A quick-clamping passe partout according to claim 1, wherein saidtransparent pane is embraced on all sides by said strip members.

4. A quick-clamping passe partout according to claim 1, wherein saidstrip members have recesses and aluminum foil positioned within saidrecesses.

5. A quick-clamping passe partout according to claim 1, wherein saidtransparent pane has rounded corners.

6. A quick-clamping passe partout according to claim 1, wherein each ofsaid strip member spring legs is drawn outwardly at the top lateralends.

7. A quick-clamping passe partout according to claim 1, wherein thelongitudinal surface of the free forward end is convex on its inwardedge.

8. A quick-clamping passe partout comprising a rear wall, a transparentpane having at least an upper beveled surface and adapted to be heldsubstantially parallel to the front side of said rear wall and aplurality of strip members secured to said rear wall, said strip membersbeing adapted to embrace the edge of said transparent paneand to hold itin position adjacent to the rear wall, each strip member comprising aspring bight secured to said rear wall and a spring leg secured to saidspring bight, said spring bight being substantially C-shaped with aplurality of sections substantially parallel to said rear wall and aplurality of adjoining sections substantially transverse to the plane ofsaid rear wall, said spring leg being provided at its free forward endwith a detent projection which will yield to the outward pressureapplied by the transparent pane until the transparent pane snaps intoposition behind said projection, said free forward end with a detentprojection being angled towards the interior of the passe partout and inresilient engagement with the upper beveled surface of the transparentpane so that when the resilient end portion of the spring leg holds thetransparent pane in position, the top end of the free spring leg issubstantially flush with the top surface of the transparent pane.

9. A quick-clamping passe partout as claimed in claim 8, wherein saidspring leg has a recess therein which holds a foil.

10. A quick-clamping passe partout as in claim 1 wherein saidtransparent pane also defines at least one lower beveled surface tofacilitate positioning of the pane without difficulty adjacent to saidrear wall.

1. A quick-clamping passe partout, comprising a rear wall, a transparent pane having at least one forward beveled surface and a top surface and adapted to be held in position adjacent to a front side of said rear wall, and a plurality of strip members secured to said rear wall, said strip members being adapted to embrace the edge of the transparent pane and to hold it in said position adjacent to said rear wall, each said strip member comprising a spring leg substantially transverse to the plane of said rear wall, a spring bight connected to said spring leg, said spring bight being secured to said rear wall, said spring leg having a free forward end provided with a detent projection which will yield to rearward pressure applied by the transparent pane until the latter snaps into position behind said projection, said detent projection comprising an angled end portion of the spring leg, said angled end portion being in resilient engagement with the upper beveled surface of the transparent pane, so that the resilient end portion of the spring leg holds the transparent pane in position, with the top end of the angled end portion being substantially flush with the top surface of the transparent pane.
 2. A quick-clamping passe partout according to claim 1, wherein the section of the spring leg which forms the detent projection is a transparent plastic material.
 3. A quick-clamping passe partout according to claim 1, wherein said transparent pane is embraced on all sides by said strip members.
 4. A quick-clamping passe partout according to claim 1, wherein said strip members have recesses and aluminum foil positioned within said recesses.
 5. A quick-clamping passe partout according to claim 1, wherein said transparent pane has rounded corners.
 6. A quick-clamping passe partout according to claim 1, wherein each of said strip member spring legs is drawn outwardly at the top lateral ends.
 7. A quick-clamping passe partout according to claim 1, wherein the longitudinal surface of the free forward end is convex on its inward edge.
 8. A quick-clamping passe partout comprising a rear wall, a transparent pane having at least an upper beveled surface and adapted to be held substantially parallel to the front side of said rear wall and a plurality of strip members secured to said rear wall, said strip members being adapted to embrace the edge of said transparent pane and to hold it in position adjacent to the rear wall, each strip member comprising a spring bight secured to said rear wall and a spring leg secured to said spring bight, said spring bight being substantially C-shaped with a plurality of sections substantially parallel to said rear wall and a plurality of adjoining sections substantially transverse to the plane of said rear wall, said spring leg being provided at its free forward end with a detent projection which will yield to the outward pressure applied by the transparent pane until the transparent pane snaps into position behind said projection, said free forward end with a detent projection being angled towards the interior of the passe partout and in resilient engagement with the upper beveled surface of the transparent pane so that when the resilient end portion of the spring leg holds the transparent pane in position, the top end of the free spring leg is substantially flush with the top surface of the transparent pane.
 9. A quick-clamping passe partout as claimed in claim 8, wherein said spring leg has a recess therein which holds a foil.
 10. A quick-clamping passe partout as in claim 1 wherein said transparent pane also defines at least one lower beveled surface to facilitate positioning of the pane without difficulty adjacent to said rear wall. 